Name: Spicy Orange Chili Chicken
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 to 1.5 pounds of chicken breast; 2 Tablespoons teriyaki sauce; 1/4 cup orange juice; 1 garlic clove - minced; 1/3 cup chopped green onions; 1 Tbsp. ground ginger; pinch of salt, and some fresh cracked pepper; 3 Tablespoons of teriyaki sauce; 3/4 cup of orange juice; 2 tablespoons of orange zest; 1/3 cup of chicken or vegetable broth; 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar; 3 garlic cloves - minced; 2 + 1/2 tablespoons of packed light brown sugar; 1/2 cup corn starch (to dredge the chicken pieces); 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger; freshly chopped green onions (scallions); sesame seeds; 1 navel orange - thinly sliced for ganish

Jump to Recipe

Spicy Orange Chili Chicken features crispy chicken pieces coated in a flavorful, spicy teriyaki-ginger-orange sauce. Delish! This copycat recipe for spicy orange chicken highlights the aromatic flavors of its orange sauce, and it’s relatively easy to pull off. Serve it with a bowl of rice for a perfect weeknight meal.

A white bowl filled with white rice, topped with orange pieces of chicken, sliced oranges, chopped scallions and sesame seeds

Spicy Orange Chicken for Dinner

My family was craving their favorite spicy orange chicken, which is what they usually order at our local American-Asian restaurant here in town. While searching, I discovered that the traditional orange chicken is American Chinese deep-fried chicken in a sweet orange-flavored chili sauce glaze. It seemed a little too complicated for me to tackle. So, as I kept searching, I found a recipe that interested me.

Recently, I came across this recipe for tangerine chili chicken in the Charleston magazine, and decided to try it with a few modifications to make it come together more easily, plus a few swaps.

The spicy orange chicken recipe is relatively easy, and it’s all about its sweet-and-spicy sauce. However, I must tell you, this recipe has no actual Thai chilies. Instead, I used crushed red pepper flakes, which worked perfectly. Plus, I used fresh-squeezed juice from navel oranges instead of tangerines for the orange sauce.

Cooking the chicken is the easiest part (and not deep-fried, but sautéed). The orange sauce is all about its aromatics, and it cooks down to a syrup in just 5 minutes.

The result? My family LOVED it… It turned out better than I imagined.

A white bowl filled with a bed of white rice, topped with orange pieces of cooked chicken, sliced oranges on the side. And topped with sesame seeds and green onions.

How to Make Spicy Orange Chili Chicken

There are four parts to making this spicy orange chili chicken dish: 1. Prepare the Chicken 2. Make the Marinade 3. Prepare Orange Sauce 4. Then Start the Cooking.

Also, it’s a good idea to measure all the ingredients and set them nearby. When you prepare and marinate the chicken pieces, having everything ready helps this dish come together in minutes.

I love that you can marinate the chicken for a short time while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Once that’s done, the cooking process comes together easily.

Ingredients You Will Need:

The ingredients you will need for this recipe are the following:

Navel Oranges: Since the recipe called for fresh tangerines, I opted for fresh navel oranges and used my citrus squeezer. And you will need at least 2 to 3 navel oranges, and some zest to marinate the chicken and to make the orange sauce.
Chicken: Choose already cleaned chicken breasts or skinless chicken tenders, and cut them into 1-inch pieces. For 4 servings, you will need 1.5 pounds of chicken breast. Marinate the chicken while you prepare the orange sauce and set your dinner table.
For the Marinade: The chicken pieces get to marinate while you prepare the orange sauce, and you can marinate for up to one hour if you need extra time to prep for dinner. The marinade consists of Soyaki Teriyaki Sauce, some chopped green onions (scallions), orange zest and juice, and 1 tablespoon of ground ginger.
For the Sauce: The orange sauce is the best part of this recipe. You will need orange juice, vegetable or chicken broth, orange zest, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic cloves, and brown sugar.
Additional Aromatics: Besides the orange sauce, you’ll also need additional aromatics, such as fresh grated ginger, ground ginger, and garlic powder.
Red Pepper Flakes: The original recipe calls for “Thai chilies,” but I preferred to use crushed red pepper flakes with this recipe. It makes it easier for me to measure the heat level we prefer.
Corn Starch: Before you sauté the chicken in hot oil, dredge the pieces in cornstarch.
Olive Oil: We prefer to sauté the chicken in olive oil, not with peanut oil. It’s healthier to sauté than to deep-fry the chicken pieces. And the flavor is better.
For Serving: Serve spicy orange chili chicken with steamed white or brown rice.
For Garnish: Top with a few remaining fresh chopped scallions. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Also add a few slices of orange as a pretty garnish.

Ok, Let’s Make Spicy Orange Chili Chicken…

How do you make Spicy Orange Chili Chicken? Very easy! But, before you start, let’s run through our simple steps so you can understand what’s involved:

1. First, Prepare the Chicken:

This recipe calls for 1 to 1.5 pounds of skinless chicken breasts. All you have to do is rinse them, then cut the breasts into 1-inch pieces, and marinate them up to one hour, if you like. I only marinated them while I prepared and measured the rest of the ingredients.

2. Next, Make the Marinade:

This is a simple marinade for the chicken pieces, and you can marinate them while you prepare the sauce. Then wrap the bowl with clear wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to cook the chicken and make this recipe. For the marinade, you will need the following:

2 Tbsp. teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
handful of chopped green onions (about 1/3 cup)
1 garlic clove – minced
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
pinch of salt, and some fresh cracked pepper

A plate filled with pieces of raw chicken. A bowl with chopped green onioons, then marinating the chicken pieces in the bowl with a marinade.

3. Prepare the Orange Sauce:

The key to this spicy orange chili chicken recipe is the sauce. For the orange sauce, whisk together these ingredients in a small bowl. Then cover and set it aside until you are ready to cook.

INGREDIENTS for ORANGE SAUCE:

3 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce
3/4 cup of orange juice (juiced two navel oranges)
2 tablespoons of orange zest
1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves – minced
2 + 1/2 tablespoons of packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup of chicken or vegetable broth

A clrear bowl filled with an orange sauce and a spoon.

4. Cook The Chicken:

In a large saucepan or a deep skillet, heat olive oil over moderate heat. Next, in the small bowl, add (1/3 cup) cornstarch. Remove the chicken from the marinade and dredge the chicken lightly in cornstarch. Add the chicken to the hot oil and sauté it until golden brown on all sides, about 3 -5 minutes. Then remove the chicken and transfer it to a nearby plate.

A large sauce pan cooking pieces of chicken, and setting them on a whte plate. Then cooking the orange sauce.

5. Pour in the Orange Sauce & Simmer:

Reduce the heat to low, add the pepper flakes and freshly grated ginger to the oil, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Next, pour in the orange sauce and stir, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce reduces and thickens, about 5 minutes.

Finally, when the sauce reduces, add back the chicken and stir to coat it as it warms up again. Then serve!

A saucepan with orange sauce simmering, and pieces of chicken coated in the sauce.

6. Then Serve:

Serve over your favorite rice and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Oh, and don’t forget to add a few slices of orange on the plates for a pretty presentation.

A white bowl filled witth Orange chicken over a bed of white rice. with sliced oranges as garnish.

Delicious Options For Serving…

This dish is best served with a side of rice, or over steamed white rice (or brown rice). If you prefer low-carb meal, try it with a side of our zucchini sticks oreganata, or mini peppers sautéed in garlic. And, don’t forget to scatter on top with a few sesame seeds, chopped scallions, and a few slices of orange on each dish, for a gorgeous presentation!

For Storing

It’s best to eat this spicy orange chicken within 2 days after cooking. Store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. After two days, discard and make a new batch.

Kitchen Tools Used

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Spicy Orange Chili Chicken

Yield: 4 serving

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Spicy Orange Chili Chicken features crispy pieces of chicken coated in a flavorful, spicy teriyaki-ginger-orange sauce. Serve it with a bowl of rice for a delicious dinner any night of the week.

5.0 Stars (3 Reviews)

Ingredients

1 to 1.5 pounds of chicken breast

FOR THE MARINADE:

2 Tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1 garlic clove - minced
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
pinch of salt, and some fresh cracked pepper

FOR the ORANGE SAUCE:

3 Tablespoons of teriyaki sauce
3/4 cup of orange juice
2 tablespoons of orange zest
1/3 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves - minced
2 + 1/2 tablespoons of packed light brown sugar

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup corn starch (to dredge the chicken pieces)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger

FOR SERVING:

freshly chopped green onions (scallions)
sesame seeds
1 navel orange - thinly sliced for ganish

Instructions

1. Measure all the ingredients needed and set them nearby,

2. Prepare the Chicken: Rinse the chicken and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Set them nearby.

3. Marinate the Chicken: In a large bowl, measure the ingredients listed and add the chicken pieces. Toss until the chicken pieces are completely coated. Wrap with clear wrap and chill in the fridge to marinate, at least 30 minutes or more.

4. Next, make the Orange Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce, 3/4 cup of orange juice, orange zest, chicken (or vegetable broth), apple cider vinegar, 3 minced garlic cloves, and brown sugar. Set it nearby.

5. Cook the Chicken: In a large saucepan or a deep skillet, heat olive oil on moderate heat. Next, in the small bowl add the corn starch. Remove the chicken from the marinade and dredge the chicken lightly in corn starch. Add the chicken to the hot oil and saute them until golden brown on all sides, about 3 -5 minutes. Then remove the chicken and transfer it to a nearby plate.

6. Simmer the Orange Sauce: Reduce the heat to low, add the pepper flakes and freshly grated ginger to the oil, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Next, pour in the orange sauce, and stir while scraping to remove any brown bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer the sauce until it reduces and thickens, about 5 minutes.

7. Return the Chicken: Then return the chicken to the pan, and stir or toss to coat. Stir occasionally until every piece is fully coated and warmed back, about 2 minutes.

8. Serve: Then serve over steamed white rice (or brown), topped with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Garnish with orange slices for a fabulous meal. Serves 4

Notes

The nutritional facts do not include the steamed rice.

It's best to consume this spicy orange chicken within 2 days after cooking it. Keep it in a sealed container and the refrigerator. After two days, discard and make a new batch.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 3 to 4 servings Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 423Total Fat: 10.4gCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 5.8gSugar: 11.5gProtein: 18g

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